Archive for July, 2014

The Mots Nouveaux are playing tonight. Once they were Californian, but they’ve learned the error of their ways. You can see them at the Sidewalk – I’m told they’ve got a bunch of gigs coming up, but check this one out.

Sometimes, a guy just needs something, and sometimes, a girl just needs to give it to him.

Gentleman hippie John Murdock let his hair hang low, and something had to be done, so Rebecca Florence stepped up to the plate and cleaned him up. Now Murdock is clean and easy to look at, but is still telling us all about the effed up world we live in.

I don’t know if Bill Popp has a show coming up soon at the Sidewalk. One of the first acts I saw at the club in the early nineties was Bill Popp & the Tapes, and, according to Popp they’d been around for some time before that. He released a CD a few years back about 30 years in music.

I found it hard to believe – until now.

Looking through the world wide web, I saw this dBs poster from, I’m told, 1986.

Who else was on the bill? Bill.

Boy gets around. Sidewalk booker Anne Husick might have been a member of the band then, too.

Sunday night, after all the explosions on Friday (and maybe some leftover bombs bursting in air throughout the weekend), Rodney Rigoli will host the latest of his and Brookes McKenzie’s Sunday performance series – and this time it’ll include Daniel Saftler on poems and, get this… Satan!

(not a real representation)

After you’ve declared your freedom, liberty, and whatever else, why not meet Satan and give him what for?

One of the first acts I saw at the Sidewalk Cafe was Eugene Ripper – playing with the inestimable Billy Fica and seeming to be the very epitome of AntiFolk.

Ripper is back in town – presumably from his native Canada – and he’s releasing… what? A comic? What does that mean? His website doesn’t give a clear sense, but at least you’ll be able to hear more about him. He’ll be at the club on Wednesday night, though, to explain everything. Maybe with pictures. Maybe with music. Probably pictures.

A new season of poetry slamming begins in the club that has hosted such things for one whole year now!

The Urbana Poetry Slam renews itself this Tuesday (tonight!) and there’s no reason to think it won’t be a blast! Special sound guy running the room will be Peter Inglewood, who, hopefully, on this special occasion, will be up to some good. We’ll certainly know by Wednesday.

Come on out and vote for the best poem, the best performance, the best popping sounds on the mic. It’ll be slamming!